Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you leave your current MMO for its sequel?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/the-daily-grind-would-you-leave-your-current-mmo-for-its-sequel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/the-daily-grind-would-you-leave-your-current-mmo-for-its-sequel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/the-daily-grind-would-you-leave-your-current-mmo-for-its-sequel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 Engineer
With Guild Wars 2 in the offing, long-time Guild Wars fans have an interesting dilemma on their hands. Trading up is probably a foregone conclusion in most cases, but abandoning Guild Wars altogether may sting a bit if you've invested a lot of time and energy into the original incarnation of Tyria.

The same could be said for faithful EverQuest fans when EverQuest II rolled around in 2004, and perhaps again whenever Sony Online Entertainment formalizes its EverQuest Next project. For today's Daily Grind, then, we'd like to know how easily you could leave your current MMO if a sequel were to materialize. We know you'd check out the new shiny, but would you leave the older title for good?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Would you leave your current MMO for its sequel? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetdaily-grindeqeq-2eq-iieq-nexteq1eq2eqiieverquesteverquest-2everquest-3everquest-iieverquest-nextf2pfantasyfree-to-playguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2mmo-sequelsncsoftopinionsequelssoesonysony-online-entertainmenttdgthe-daily-grindThu, 24 May 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Touring the Snowden Drifts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/flameseeker-chronicles-touring-the-snowden-drifts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/flameseeker-chronicles-touring-the-snowden-drifts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/flameseeker-chronicles-touring-the-snowden-drifts/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2
I pretty much went all Norn for the stress test last week. Alone (like a true Norn), I ventured to the highest, loneliest peaks of Snowden Drifts, swam in the darkest ice caves, and faced the largest metric crap-ton of Sons of Svanir imaginable.

As my Necromancer slid what felt like the nine hundredth Son off of her dagger blades, I took the time to look around soak up the view; there's nothing quite like rallying three times in a fight against a whole passel of renegade Norn to make a girl really appreciate the scenery.

Say what you will (and this being the Internet, many folks do) about whether or not having to zone between maps is, like, the ultimate sign that the game isn't truly "massively multiplayer," but each and every map we've seen so far in Guild Wars 2 is packed to the brim with excitement.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Touring the Snowden Drifts

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Touring the Snowden Drifts originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesgalleriesgalleryguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2ncsoftnornopinionscreenshotscreenshotssons-of-svanirTue, 22 May 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fan documents visual changes between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/fan-documents-visual-changes-between-guild-wars-and-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/fan-documents-visual-changes-between-guild-wars-and-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/fan-documents-visual-changes-between-guild-wars-and-guild-wars-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars
As many Guild Wars players know, Guild Wars 2 takes place in the same world and often in the same areas -- just 250 years after its predecessor. Because of this, ArenaNet elected not to wipe the slate clean and start over with 100% new environments but instead to incorporate old locales and landmarks into its upcoming game.

Guild Wars fan Claire became fascinated with this concept and has dedicated a new blog to documenting all of the visual changes in the world between the first and second game. It's called Project Tyria, and each post consists of several Guild Wars locales contrasted with screenshots of the same areas from the sequel.

Claire writes, "I've always loved the graphics of the Guild Wars games and have grown to love the world of Tyria. We were there in the before times, and now we arrive again in the after."

It's fascinating to see how ArenaNet has envisioned 250 years taking its toll on the monuments, cities, and vales of the original game; realizing the importance of keeping the world accurate for the hardcore fans seems to be a noted priority for the team. Head over to Project Tyria to see more on the comparison screenshots.

MassivelyFan documents visual changes between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcompare-and-contrastcomparisonfan-blogfan-sitefansitefantasyguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2ncsoftproject-tyriascreenshotstyriaMon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Reserve your Guild Wars 2 character name today]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/reserve-your-guild-wars-2-character-name-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/reserve-your-guild-wars-2-character-name-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/reserve-your-guild-wars-2-character-name-today/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 2
Everyone seems to freak out about grabbing his or her special character name at the launch of a new MMO, and we imagine Guild Wars 2 will invoke the same emotions. Instead of leaving this oh-so-important action to Day One, ArenaNet is giving players a chance to reserve their Guild Wars 2 names... starting today.

The way it works is that ArenaNet will be reserving all current Guild Wars names for the launch, and players attached to those names can then swoop in and collect them from the start. Three caveats are attached to this process, however: You have to log into Guild Wars sometime in 2012, you have to claim your names in Guild Wars 2 by launch day, and you can't secure Guild Wars 2's single names (as Guild Wars forces you to make two-word names).

The studio says that there are 20 million two-word names in use at this point, and we suspect that list will grow much longer after today. These names can be reserved at any point from now until whenever ArenaNet decides to compile its master list. After launch, ArenaNet promises to free up the unclaimed names for others to take.

MassivelyReserve your Guild Wars 2 character name today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbetacharacter-namecharacter-name-reservationcharacter-namesclosed-betafantasyguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2namename-reservationname-reservationsnamesncsoftreserve-your-namereserve-your-namesThu, 17 May 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Dynomatic]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/flameseeker-chronicles-dynomatic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/flameseeker-chronicles-dynomatic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/flameseeker-chronicles-dynomatic/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 concept art: Centaurs from hell
After the first mostly-open beta weekend event, reaction to the dynamic event system of Guild Wars 2 is mixed. Some people see it as the revolution of gameplay that was promised, others think it's a refreshing and solid system, and others feel that it falls short. All of those are fair, although it mightn't be hard to guess that I don't share all of those opinions.

Some people expecting the dynamic event system to be the trumpet that would herald the arrival of the salvation of the MMO world were rather let down. There've been a couple of bits of confusion about the nature and scope of dynamic events, so let's look into them.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Dynomatic

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Dynomatic originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcolin-johansondedynamic-eventsdynomaticfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2ncsoftopinionpveravious-makes-a-good-pointTue, 15 May 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Five things to love about Lion's Arch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/flameseeker-chronicles-five-things-to-love-about-lions-arch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/flameseeker-chronicles-five-things-to-love-about-lions-arch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/flameseeker-chronicles-five-things-to-love-about-lions-arch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 concept art
Lion's Arch, the quintessential Tyrian player hub, has undergone quite the extensive renovation for Guild Wars 2. As a special treat for the last beta weekend, the city was made explorable to players for the first time -- and what a treat it was! After the Rise of Orr and the accompanying land shift, Lion's Arch as we knew and loved it in the original Guild Wars was flooded. It has been raised anew, very near the first city, and stands as a monument to piracy, desperation, and inter-species cooperation (not, perhaps, in that order).

So what makes Lion's Arch awesome? It's one of six huge cities that are the thriving populatiion centers of Tyria as we find it in Guild Wars 2, and since it doesn't have one single race to lend it culture and purpose, you can bet it had better be pretty special.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Five things to love about Lion's Arch

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Five things to love about Lion's Arch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcitydiving-boardfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2hublalions-archncsoftnew-lions-archopinionpiratespiratitudequaggantrailertrailersvideovideosTue, 08 May 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Guild Wars Utopia
Aztecs. Chronomancers. Mounts. Halberds. Golems. Dual wielding.

These are all but a hint of what a fourth Guild Wars campaign could have been, a campaign that was under development in the mid-2000s but was scrapped by 2007. Replacing it was the expansion Guild Wars Eye of the North and the workings of a super-secret sequel to the game (which you've probably never heard of). It was the forgotten campaign, swept under a rug while it was still under the rug.

But what if, in some alternative timeline, ArenaNet had gone ahead with this campaign? What if it became an established part of the Guild Wars legacy, as familiar to us today as Nightfall and Factions?

What if Guild Wars Utopia had lived?

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetasuraazteccampaignchronomancerclassicclassic-mmosclassicsdestroyersEric-Flannumeye-of-the-northfactionsfantasyfeaturedgame-archaelogistguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-eye-of-the-northguild-wars-factionsguild-wars-nightfallguild-wars-propheciesguild-wars-utopiagwgw2ncsoftnightfallnostalgiaopinionpropheciesSidhesummonersylvariTannecksthe-game-archaeologistutopiaTue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars 2 fan compares new game map to original]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/guild-wars-2-fan-compares-new-game-map-to-original/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/guild-wars-2-fan-compares-new-game-map-to-original/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/guild-wars-2-fan-compares-new-game-map-to-original/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Guild Wars 2
Enterprising Guild Wars 2 player and Reddit member that_shaman went above and beyond the call of duty by providing a useful tool for the growing beta community: a giant, fleshed-out map of the new Tyria. In it, he fits the current explored player regions of Guild Wars 2 on top of the preexisting Guild Wars 1 world map to show just how faithful ArenaNet has been in staying true to its landscape and outposts.

The full Guild Wars 2 map encompasses around 25 zones, six cities, and some odds and ends. Of course, not all of Guild Wars 1 areas are revisited in GW2 (at least, not yet), and Guild Wars 2 has a few areas that were never explored in its predecessor.

MassivelyGuild Wars 2 fan compares new game map to original originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 May 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbetacommunitycomparecompare-and-contrastfantasyguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2mapncsoftprojectthat_shamanworld-mapMon, 07 May 2012 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: After beta action report]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/flameseeker-chronicles-after-beta-action-report/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/flameseeker-chronicles-after-beta-action-report/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/flameseeker-chronicles-after-beta-action-report/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 -- you have NO IDEA how long I've been waiting to use my own screenshots
Well there you have it, ladies and gents: The first Guild Wars 2 beta weekend over which people had direct control over their participation has come and gone. It was quite the exciting weekend, and it's amazing to see the volume and content of feedback being provided. If you missed out on a chance to get your hands on the game, feel free to form some vicarious impressions; there's tons of footage out there from oodles of people. Massively has a few streams recorded, and I have a niggling feeling that someone will have plenty of extra footage.

It was great to be back in the game, it was great to get to talk about stuff with people and stream and share pictures, but mostly it was great to see the world populated the way it really needs to be to feel alive and whole. Beta being beta, that brought its own set of challenges and learning experiences -- mostly for ArenaNet -- but on the whole I hope that most people agree that this was, if not a truly delightful weekend (I can't expect everyone to share my taste in games), then at least a solid and informative one.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: After beta action report

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: After beta action report originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbetabeta-weekendbwe1fantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesgroupingguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2multiplayerncsoftopinionoverflow-serverpreviewTue, 01 May 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars: What keeps fans coming back]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/28/guild-wars-what-keeps-fans-coming-back/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/28/guild-wars-what-keeps-fans-coming-back/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/28/guild-wars-what-keeps-fans-coming-back/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Guild Wars
Spring is in the air in Guild Wars! I can hear the pitter-patter of speed-enhanced feet coming from the Dragon Arena, the roar of the crowds watching Rollerbeetle races, and the endless grunts of unlucky players on the Nine Rings. It's a celebration -- the celebration of the seventh anniversary of Guild Wars, to be precise.

In and around the annual birthday cupcake hoarding that's going on for the duration of festivities, this year has a few other exciting tricks up its proverbial sleeve. For one thing, a new and limited-edition pet has been made available; the Hound of Balthazar can be unlocked for free by having a brief chat with Ceira, Sworn to Fire, in Embark Beach. For another, the bonuses from all weekend events are active for the anniversary, so players will have to go pretty far out of their way to not reap sweet, sweet rewards for any time spent in-game between now and May 8th.

Seven's a pretty nice number, don't you think? This is something of a special event, as ArenaNet's promise to get Guild Wars 2 shipped before year's end means that this'll be the last birthday that Guild Wars gets to have before the sequel comes along and grabs everyone's attention -- if, indeed, that's not already happening, what with the beta weekend that's going on right this moment. Even with Guild Wars 2 soaking up some limelight, though, Guild Wars is doing its creators proud and aging with grace and dignity. Let's take a look at some of the building blocks of the game's longevity.

Continue reading Guild Wars: What keeps fans coming back

MassivelyGuild Wars: What keeps fans coming back originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7th-anniversaryaging-gracefullyanetanniversaryarenanetbirthdayfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2hall-of-monumentsncsoftopinionseventh-birthdaywhy-players-keep-coming-backSat, 28 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars celebrates its 7th anniversary [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/guild-wars-celebrates-its-7th-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/guild-wars-celebrates-its-7th-anniversary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/guild-wars-celebrates-its-7th-anniversary/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Guild Wars
It's that special time of year again! Despite the amount of effort that has got to be getting poured into the upcoming Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event, ArenaNet isn't neglecting the baby game's elder sibling. The Guild Wars site has been updated with some information about festivities for the in-game celebration.

From April 24th through May 8th, players will be able to enjoy the time-honored traditions of Guild Wars' birthday celebrations: Players can stroll down the Shing Jea Boardwalk for some festival games, race Rollerbeetles, unlock birthday hats, and collect some sweet, sweet treats. In addition, a new pet is being made available. The Hound of Balthazar can be unlocked for free by visiting Ceira, Sworn to Fire in Embark Beach and then traveling to the Zaishen Menagerie and tracking down the fiery beastie. After the anniversary has drawn to a close, the Hound will still be unlockable, but at the cost of 100,000 Balthazar Faction or 20 golden zaishen coins and 100 gold -- so maybe don't dawdle if you're interested in a shiny new pet. The updated page also promises "drops and activities never before seen in anniversary celebration," so join in the fun to find out what's new!

[Update: According to a Gamebreaker TV special, all of the normal weekend events observed in Guild Wars will be running simultaneously for the anniversary celebration!]

MassivelyGuild Wars celebrates its 7th anniversary [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7th-anniversary7th-birthdayanetanniversaryarenanetbirthdayfantasyfestivalguild-warsguild-wars-turns-7gwhound-of-balthazarncsoftrollerbeetle-racingshing-jea-boardwalkTue, 24 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Dreaming of green knights]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/flameseeker-chronicles-dreaming-of-green-knights/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/flameseeker-chronicles-dreaming-of-green-knights/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/flameseeker-chronicles-dreaming-of-green-knights/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 2
April's had some exciting moments, has it not? The month is going to end on a high note for many Guild Wars 2 fans. Even if you're not one of the many many people who'll be in the upcoming beta weekend event, the lack of a non-disclosure agreement for participants of this round means that anyone can stream, post, and chat about her experience. That means a new level of transparency and insight, hopefully, so that's cool.

You know what won't be available in the beta? The Sylvari and the Asura, once again. ArenaNet's included Lion's Arch in this newest beta build, but that's about all that's new. I've gone on record as saying that I'm perfectly content to wait 'til launch for the Asura and Sylvari so that they're all pristine and new and ready to be explored, but I've got to say that that contentedness gets a little more strained each time we hear or see new stuff about the Sylvari. That's been true for months upon months, but it just keeps getting better.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Dreaming of green knights

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Dreaming of green knights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2ncsoftopinionsylvarisylvari roxorzSylvariRoxorzTue, 24 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Leaderboard: Age of Conan's score vs. Guild Wars' score]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/leaderboard-age-of-conans-score-vs-guild-wars-score/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/leaderboard-age-of-conans-score-vs-guild-wars-score/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/leaderboard-age-of-conans-score-vs-guild-wars-score/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Leaderboard
Believe it or not, there are actually loads of incredible MMO soundtracks. Oh, I know we all bellyache about the repetitive music and how we turn it off and just listen to speed metal or Justin Bieber while we grind boars, but the scores are often wonderful when removed from infinite looping.

Today we're going to pit two of the greatest MMO soundtracks against each other as they vie for your approval. In the first corner is Age of Conan's score, which was composed by Knut Avenstroup Haugen. It's not only award-winning and famous outside of MMO circles but hauntingly beautiful to listen to as well. In the other corner is Mr. Jeremy Soule's epic Guild Wars soundtrack (we'll lump all four of them together for this poll), which many claim to be just as memorable as the game's visuals.

It's the cream of the audio crop presented for your judgment: Age of Conan's score vs. Guild Wars' score. Give each one a listen and then let us know which you'll vote for after the jump!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Age of Conan's score vs. Guild Wars' score

MassivelyLeaderboard: Age of Conan's score vs. Guild Wars' score originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanage-of-conan-unchainedanetaocaoc-unchainedarenanetbattle-royalconanf2pfantasyfree-to-playfuncomguild-warsgwhyboriajeremy-souleKnut-Avenstroup-Haugenleaderboardncsoftone-on-oneone-vs-oneopinionpollpollsunchainedversusvotevotesvotingvsMon, 23 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively Speaking Episode 197: The audio plague]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/massively-speaking-episode-197-the-audio-plague/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/massively-speaking-episode-197-the-audio-plague/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/massively-speaking-episode-197-the-audio-plague/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

SWTOR
Massively Speaking Episode 197 reviews a big week for MMOs, with several launches, updates, and live events going off all over the place. We had to hit the big red Massively Alarm three times during this time, prompting the MassivelyBusters to jump out of their beds, slide down the pole, and take the NERF-1 out to the scene of the action. Then we farmed spores, molds, and fungi with Elisabeth Cardy.

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

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Listen here on the page:



Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 197: The audio plague

MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 197: The audio plague originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionanetarenanetascendascensionbiowarebrantbrianna-roycechampionschampions-onlinechampscoconconventioncrypticcryptic-studiosdark-legendse-sporteaelectronic-artselisabeth-cardyesportexpof2pfantasyfeaturedfirst-person-shooterfpsfree-to-playguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2hi-rezhi-rez-studioshumorjustin-olivettilucasartsmassively-speakingncsoftopinionpaxpax-2012pax-eastpax-east-2012penny-arcade-expoperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpodcastpodcastingpodcastspvppwesci-fishooterspacetime-studiosstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsubsubscription-feesuperherosuperheroesswtorthe-old-republictortribestribes-ascendtribes-mmotribes-universetruly-freeTue, 17 Apr 2012 16:00:00 ESTMassively Speaking Episode 197Massively.com Staff01:02:31podcasts<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Simplicity itself]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/flameseeker-chronicles-simplicity-itself/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/flameseeker-chronicles-simplicity-itself/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/flameseeker-chronicles-simplicity-itself/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 concept art
ArenaNet is designing Guild Wars 2 to appeal to bucketloads of people. The studio's got the PvP and competition, the high-end dungeon challenge, the super-cooperative and dynamic PvE content, the compelling and branching storyline, the flashy (and occasionally sensibly flashy) armors -- there's a lot going on. Part of what makes that possible is the use of very approachable systems.

These simple systems pop up all over the place: the straight-forward lists of boons and conditions that affect players, the common capture point mechanic over which more intricate PvP objectives can be layered, and the relatively small pool of skills from which to assemble a build. The beauty of their simplicity is that the simplicity itself isn't a limiting factor -- you can't do only simple things with them.

In this way, simple systems have a low entry barrier and a high complexity capacity. That means that more people can enjoy the game with relatively little skill and that there's a lot of room for time, dedication, and finesse to lead to outstanding results. Anyone can play, but not everyone can (or will) master elements of the game.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Simplicity itself

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Simplicity itself originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcbtdynamic-eventsemergent-gameplayeventsfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2ncsoftopinionskill-comboskillsTue, 17 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Line of succession]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/flameseeker-chronicles-line-of-succession/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/flameseeker-chronicles-line-of-succession/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/flameseeker-chronicles-line-of-succession/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 2
Sequels are tricky business. The more fans swarm around a game or franchise, the thicker the air gets with opinions regarding what the heart and soul of that game is all about. With that in mind, I don't envy sequel game designers the task of figuring out the balance of enough of a nod to the original to maintain the emotional connection that longstanding fans have without making newcomers feel locked out of something.

One of the most frequent questions that pops up in the discussion of Guild Wars 2 anticipation is whether or not it's worth it for incoming players to take a spin through the original campaigns and expansion to pass the time. This is mostly tied in with discussion about the Hall of Monuments account rewards. In my opinion, the HoM rewards should be the least compelling reason to start a play-through, although it's still a good reason; even some members of our staff are haphazardly trying to find time to wade back through the stories before release. But considering everything in ArenaNet's design philosophy, we know the HoM rewards are unlikely to offer a statistical advantage, so they should be little more than a perk. Moreover, most of their value, it seems to me, should be from what they represent, which is both time spent in-game (forging that emotional connection) actually earning the reward points and the references some of them make to the original game. I still remember my first Stygian Reaver in GW, and that is why I'm looking forward to wielding one in Guild Wars 2.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Line of succession

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Line of succession originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetascalonian-catecombseric-flannumfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw1gw2kill-your-ancestorslegacyncsoftopinionpax-east-2012pvp-mapsequelthat-special-somethingTue, 10 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's Easter event roundup: 2012 edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/massivelys-easter-event-roundup-2012-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/massivelys-easter-event-roundup-2012-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/massivelys-easter-event-roundup-2012-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bunnies at church
Whether you're an Easter traditionalist or you simply need an excuse to eat a chocolate bunny, it's that time of year again. It's also time for a few of our favorite MMO devs to don their silly hats and introduce all manner of egg hunts and contests into games like RuneScape, Runes of Magic, and World of Warcraft.

That's just the tip of the Easter event iceberg; you'll find several more festively inclined titles in our roundup after the cut. Before you hop on over, have a look at the two bunnies above and repeat after us: d'awww.

Continue reading Massively's Easter event roundup: 2012 edition

MassivelyMassively's Easter event roundup: 2012 edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-mmoactivisionanetarenanetatlanticaatlantica-onlineblizzardblizzard-entertainmentbrowserbrowser-basedclassic-mmodragon-nesteastereaster-2012easter-eventseaster-roundupeq-2eq-iieq2eqiieventseverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfrogsterfrogster-americafrogster-interactiveguild-warsgwholiday-roundupin-game-eventsjagexjagex-games-studioncsoftnexonnexon-americanexon-entertainmentnexon-korearomrounduprsrunes-of-magicrunescaperunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentsandboxscarlet-legacysoesonysony-online-entertainmenttaboreatactical-mmovindictuswarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 07 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: What's your golden carrot?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/flameseeker-chronicles-whats-your-golden-carrot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/flameseeker-chronicles-whats-your-golden-carrot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/flameseeker-chronicles-whats-your-golden-carrot/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 2: Electric Boogaloo
On the Sunday of the most recent beta weekend for Guild Wars 2, I found myself trying to figure out precisely what incentive my friends and I might have to go through the explorable mode of dungeons before we hit level 80. The question arose, in a roundabout way, because there's not a tremendous amount of XP available (you spend more time killing fewer things), which makes sense if you're a developer trying to discourage players from entering a dungeon they have no intention of completing in order to farm experience, but it left us wondering whether we'd feel compelled to participate in explorable mode dungeons as we progressed through the game. The point of the matter is, unless you're well and truly enamored of the armor attainable through a specific dungeon's tokens, there might not be much empirical motivation to get through a repeatable dungeon. This stood out to me because so much of the game's reward structure is so clear and well-designed.

Although I'll certainly never make the claim that the game will please everyone, or even that ArenaNet's fine folks are trying to please everyone, it is evident that they're building in support for a wide variety of play and reward styles.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: What's your golden carrot?

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: What's your golden carrot? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achieveranetarenanetascalonian-catacombsbartle-test-of-gamer-psychologycarrotcatacombs-of-ascalondungeonexplorerfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesgolden-carrotguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-betagwgw1gw2killerncsoftopinionsocializerthanks-for-the-pictures-guildcastTue, 03 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively Speaking Episode 195: Jokeception]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/massively-speaking-195-jokeception/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/massively-speaking-195-jokeception/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/massively-speaking-195-jokeception/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

SWTOR
Massively Speaking Episode 195 wonders if you were actually fooled by any of the pranks that MMO studios put out there, or barring that, if some of the pranks sounded so cool that you wish they were real. For Massively's part, we brought back One Shots as a joke, and then we brought it back for real just because that was the best laugh of them all.

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 195: Jokeception

MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 195: Jokeception originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchy-onlineanetaoapril-foolsapril-fools-2012april-fools-dayarenanetbrantbrianna-royceclassic-mmodark-millenniumdark-millennium-onlinedmoeqoaeverquest-online-adventuresf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfuncomgods-and-heroesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2heatwaveheatwave-interactivehumorjustin-olivettimassively-speakingmythologyncsoftopinionpodcastpodcastingpodcastssci-fantasysci-fisoeSony-Online-Entertainmentvigilvigil-gameswar40kwar40k-dmowarhammerwarhammer-40000-dark-millennium-onlinewarhammer-40kwarhammer-40k-dark-millennium-onlineTue, 03 Apr 2012 10:00:00 ESTMassively Speaking Episode 195Massively.com Staff55:56podcasts<![CDATA[April Fool's jokes streak across the MMO community]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/april-fools-jokes-streak-across-the-mmo-community/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/april-fools-jokes-streak-across-the-mmo-community/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/april-fools-jokes-streak-across-the-mmo-community/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

SWTOR
It may be the weekend, but that's never stopped pranksters in the past from pulling off truly epic April Fool's jokes. Many MMO studios, bloggers, and fan site operators are lining up to take a shot at the jester's crown today, hoping that their blatant (and entertaining) lies will at least amuse, if not trick, players.

It would be fool-hardy (har har) to try to round them all up, so suffice it to say that office clowns have been quite busy thus far. From Star Wars: The Old Republic's announcement of playable ship droids and City of Heroes' offer of ludicrous marketplace sales to Blizzard's focus on educational kids games and StarCraft 2's playable supply depots to SOE scaring visitors with Chatdy, the gags are flying fast and furious. We might be the most impressed with a deeply detailed wiki entry for a Guild Wars mission called Annihilator 2: Searing Day, during which players are sent into the past to save Gwen from the G-1000.

If you've spotted any other pranks, please share them in the comments!

MassivelyApril Fool's jokes streak across the MMO community originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetapril-foolsapril-fools-dayapril-fools-day-2012arenanetbiowarebrowserbrowser-basedcity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohconsoleconsolescovcoxeaelectronic-artsf2pfantasyfrfree-realmsfree-to-playfreedomgagsguild-warsgwhumorjokeskid-friendlykidskids-mmolucasartsncsoftparagonparagon-studiosplaystation-3playstation3pranksps3sci-fisoesonysony-online-entertainmentstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsubsubscription-feesuperherosuperheroesswtorthe-old-republictortricksSun, 01 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Botanical bliss]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/one-shots-botanical-bliss/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/one-shots-botanical-bliss/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/one-shots-botanical-bliss/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars 1
This is a picture of a plant in Fisherman's Haven in Guild Wars, one of my favorite zones for accessing my storage vault when I'm /invisible and hiding out from my friends, who are probably trying to drag me along to vanquish zones or do Zaishen dailies or something. I mean, seriously guys, I think you forgot that MMOs aren't supposed to be about fun. They're supposed to be about spending $60 and then complaining on the forums and quitting in a huff.

Behind me is a beautiful vista with gentle waves swirling on a beach nestled in an exotic cove, but you can't see any of those things because I chose to focus on this plant, darnit. It's my very favorite plant. I stand next to this plant while accessing the storage vault referenced earlier. I don't have to comport with your oppressive "beautiful screenshot" paradigm. This plant has deep meaning. Deep. Meaning. Something about standing alone in a wasteland of sand. It's about the very essence of MMOs, see?

Do you have a picture of a favorite MMO plant? The very first thing you should do is not send it in to us at oneshots@massively.com, along with your name, the game, and a description of the scene, and we won't publish it. Bring back One Shots!

MassivelyOne Shots: Botanical bliss originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>april-foolsapril-fools-2012april-fools-daybring-back-one-shotsguild-warsgwgw1one-shotsscreenshotscreenshotsSun, 01 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Life in the legions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/flameseeker-chronicles-life-in-the-legions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/flameseeker-chronicles-life-in-the-legions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/flameseeker-chronicles-life-in-the-legions/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/flameseeker-chronicles-life-in-the-legions/
Last week, Leif Chapelle, a content designer, took some time to update the ArenaNet blog with a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at personal story in Guild Wars 2. He sketched out the structure of how players' biography choices affect their storyline: "To experience every potential storyline being told from level one to 10, you'd need to play the game 30 times (five races times three initial storylines times two internal branches in each storyline)... We have 80 levels of progression for your character, and every 10 levels or so, you'll begin a new chapter in your story."

To someone who has rolled a seemingly endless string of alts in virtually every game I've played and is extraordinarily trigger-happy when it comes to remaking characters, this shows a great deal of promise. I'm sure it's quite an angstilicious idea for people who want to savor ALL THE STORY, but I hope that such types might admit (however grudgingly) that too much story is a better option than too little.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Life in the legions

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Life in the legions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetash-legionblood-legioncharrfantasyfeaturedflame-legionflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-betaguild-wars-2-previewguild-wars-nightfallgwgw1gw2iron-legionleif-chappellemike-zMike-Zadorojnyncsoftopinionpersonal-storyTue, 27 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/making-the-jump-from-guild-wars-to-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/making-the-jump-from-guild-wars-to-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/making-the-jump-from-guild-wars-to-guild-wars-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Black Citadel Forest, Guild Wars 2
The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.

Guild Wars 2 is on the way (when it's ready), and classic Guild Wars players probably understand that soon they'll be competing with a younger sibling -- a smarter, more attractive one who's sure to get more of mom's attention. And while we're sure that some of the more stalwart Guild Wars 2 fans are also Guild Wars players, not all veterans of the first edition are dedicated to licking up every drop of sequel info squeezed out of blogs, conventions, and betas. Those veterans might just be wondering, what exactly can Guild Wars 2 offer them, other than Hall of Monuments tie-ins? What's changed? What's the same? What will they love, what will they hate, and what could possibly make them jump ship to the new hotness?

The first and most important thing you must know is that yes, you can jump in Guild Wars 2! Seriously, though, jumping is more than just a thing you do with your spacebar when you're bored; it's a symbol of boundlessness. Guild Wars 2 itself is trying to jump a lot higher than its elder brother, and probably the essential difference between the games is that feeling that the walls have come down and gravity is letting loose. That alone should urge classic players to take a peek, but if that's not enough for you, fire up your Jeremy Soule soundtracks (yes, he's onboard for an encore!) and read on...

Continue reading Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2

MassivelyMaking the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetauction-hallbetacash-shopcharacter-creationclosed-betaclosed-beta-3comparisondeathdeath-penaltydungeonsdynamic-contenteconomyendgameeye-of-the-northfantasyfeaturedgeargemsgroupgroupingguideguidesguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-betaguild-wars-2-guideguild-wars-2-previewguildsgvggwgw2hall-of-monumentshands-onhominterfacejumpjumpingloremap-travelncsoftpreviewpreviewspropheciespvpquestsrenown-heartrmtsidekickingskill-pointtrading-posttyriauiuser-interfaceworld-vs-worldworld-vs-world-vs-worldwvwwvwvwMon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[An outsider's look inside Guild Wars 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/an-outsiders-look-inside-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/an-outsiders-look-inside-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/an-outsiders-look-inside-guild-wars-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2 - Engineer concept art
The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.

My Guild Wars 2 beta weekend started off with a whimper instead of a bang. As I fired up the client and got a load of that sexy 2/dragon logo prior to character creation, one of the video cards in my gaming tower decided to give up the ghost. I didn't know this at the time, and as I slogged through the game's opening sequence, I wondered why it was running like pure Charr poo even with the settings dialed down.

I could barely move around the starter village, and after 15 minutes or so, I closed the client in disgust. Later I fired up EverQuest II on that same system and experienced similar subpar performance, so I quickly downloaded the GW2 beta to my laptop.

Ah, now that was more like it. Here was the Tyria I'd glimpsed via screenshots and video over the past few weeks, and I rolled up an Engineer to help determine whether ArenaNet has anything to offer a crusty old newb.

Continue reading An outsider's look inside Guild Wars 2

MassivelyAn outsider's look inside Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetclassesdivinitys-reachengineerfantasygame-mechanicsguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-betaguild-wars-2-beta-impressionsguild-wars-2-impressionsguild-wars-2-newbguild-wars-2-previewguild-wars-2-questsguild-wars-2beta-impressionsgwgw2impressionsncsoftquestingMon, 26 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Types of loot that get me excited]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/22/the-perfect-ten-types-of-loot-that-get-me-excited/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/22/the-perfect-ten-types-of-loot-that-get-me-excited/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/22/the-perfect-ten-types-of-loot-that-get-me-excited/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Perfect Ten
Loot's not something that I see discussed much these days among MMO players. It's probably because loot's been around since the beginning of online time and is such a staple that we'd only really notice it if it went away completely or if the object in question were a major game-changer for us.

Random loot from mobs is a reward mechanic that is bordering on archaic, having been supplanted by dependable quest rewards and barter vendors that give us the gear we so desire. Of course, now we've come around the weird circle to the point that dropped lockboxes hold interesting loot, but we've got to pay for the privilege of seeing what's inside.

But let's not go there today! Instead, I'm going to share with you the 10 general types of loot that still get me excited while playing. They will shock, amaze, and radically reshape your life, as long as you've had a recent brain wipe and are awaiting brand-new neural instructions.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Types of loot that get me excited

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Types of loot that get me excited originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionanetarenanetbiowareblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcrypticcryptic-studioseaelectronic-artserotic-roleplayerpf2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playguild-warsgwhumorlootlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolucasartsncsoftnon-combat-petsopinionp10perfect-10perfect-tenperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpweroundupsci-fistar-trekstar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstosubsubscription-feeswtorthe-old-republicthe-perfect-10the-perfect-tentop-10top-10-listtop-tentop-ten-listtorturbineturbine-entertainmentvanity-petswarcraftworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 22 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Setting up for success]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/20/flameseeker-chronicles-setting-up-for-success/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/20/flameseeker-chronicles-setting-up-for-success/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/20/flameseeker-chronicles-setting-up-for-success/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Guild Wars 2
Community Team Lead Martin Kerstein updated the ArenaNet blog a few days ago with some information about his team's plans for the Guild Wars 2 community. The two big bits of news were that there will be official forums (to the evident skepticism of the Guild Wars 2 Guru mods) and there will not be a typical fan site program. The most interesting bit, to me, is this:
"Our goal is to use a scalable, inclusive ecosystem instead of a rigid fan site program that doesn't scale well and excludes large parts of the fan base."
What I'm hoping this means is that the team members are opening themselves up to a lot more flexibility in which fan sites they support. This is great if it means that small blogs and niche communities can be more easily promoted; we already see this happening, as the Guild Wars 2 twitter feed is usually full of retweets pointing out various fan creations and posts. The flip side of this is equally true. In his article, Kerstein talks about wanting to promote a mature and helpful community, so hopefully the lack of a rigid structure in fan site support means the team members don't feel pressured to include and support toxic communities just because they've hit standardized milestones.

I have high hopes for this scalable community engagement style, and I hope to see it pay off for a lot of smaller fan sites and projects. If the folks at ArenaNet want to demand more of the quality of their community, more power to 'em.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Setting up for success

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Setting up for success originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcommunitydynamic-eventsfailurefantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesforumsguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-is-scalygwgw2Martin-Kersteinncsoftopinionravious-makes-a-good-pointscalable-contentTue, 20 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars discontinuing support for old operating systems]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/guild-wars-discontinuing-support-for-old-operating-systems/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/guild-wars-discontinuing-support-for-old-operating-systems/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/guild-wars-discontinuing-support-for-old-operating-systems/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Screenshot -- Guild Wars
If you're a Guild Wars player who's still playing on a pre-Windows XP operating system, you may want to look into an upgrade soon. ArenaNet announced today that beginning on June 14th of this year, the studio will no longer be supporting Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, and Windows ME.

The announcement notes that this change will only affect about .05% of the game's current players, and it will allow ArenaNet to implement "features that will improve account management and security," so we'd say it's a pretty fair trade. At any rate, any players still running any of the archaic operating systems listed above have until June to make the switch, so don't tarry!

MassivelyGuild Wars discontinuing support for old operating systems originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetfantasyguild-warsgwncsoftoperating-systemswindows-95windows-98windows-98-sewindows-meFri, 16 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Quest education]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/flameseeker-chronicles-quest-education/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/flameseeker-chronicles-quest-education/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/flameseeker-chronicles-quest-education/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

GW2
Looking around the Guild Warsy corners of the internet, I've found some confusion about quests and dynamic events. Having this handy platform to stand on, I thought I'd try to clarify things for those who aren't really sure what standard XP-gain looks like in Guild Wars 2. If this is old news to some of you, I apologize, but please remember that not everybody's been leaping on news scraps like a ravenous puppy for the last two or three years.

With the pretty aggressive abandonment of traditional questing in Guild Wars 2's PvE, there seems to be some misinformation about what directed content will look like. It's relatively accurate to say that there are three main types: personal story quests, renown hearts, and dynamic events. Dungeons, another type of PvE content, are kind of a world unto themselves; they're approached by way of the personal storyline but evidently aren't actually necessary for progress along that line (in an effort to not force people to team up in an MMO unless they jolly well feel like it). They contain events but also static objectives. However, since they're cordoned off by way of instances, it seems pretty safe to leave them out of this conversation. Let's dig in, shall we?

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Quest education

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Quest education originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetdynamic-eventsfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2hearts-are-not-dynamic-eventsncsoftopinionpersonal-storypersonal-storylineQuestsraviousravious-makes-a-good-pointrenown-heartsTue, 13 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Should MMOs balance for PvP, PvE, or yes?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/the-daily-grind-should-mmos-balance-for-pvp-pve-or-yes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Guild Wars
The original concept for Guild Wars is right there in the name: guild wars. There was no question that regardless of how much PvE content the game planned to feature, there'd be at least as much or more GvG content for the competitive folks.

But as more and more skills were added to the game, the devs ran into serious balancing problems and began tweaking the skills so that the PvP meta was less affected by the powercreep slowly taking over PvE. Eventually, ArenaNet split the skills, giving some skills different effects depending on whether they were being used against players or monsters; some newer skills were designed to be PvE-only from the start.

Do you think Guild Wars offers a pragmatic solution to the PvE/PvP balance problems that plague so many MMOs? Or do you think games should strive to balance their gameplay without creating skills (or gear) that do different things in different situations?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Should MMOs balance for PvP, PvE, or yes? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetbrianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindfantasyguild-vs-guildguild-warsgvggwncsoftopinionpower-creeppowercreeppvepve-skillspvpskillstdgthe-daily-grindMon, 12 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: How do trinities work?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/flameseeker-chronicles-how-do-trinities-work/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/flameseeker-chronicles-how-do-trinities-work/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/06/flameseeker-chronicles-how-do-trinities-work/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

No, no -- there's three characters. That must mean there's a trinity.
People have had varying reactions to Jon Peters' post on ArenaNet's blog last week, which explained the newest system of traits and attributes for Guild Wars 2. There've been all sorts of thoughts about it: that it's awesome, that it's unnecessary, that it's a whole lot of words to keep track of (I'm saying that, in fact, and I'm firmly in the camp of folks who think it's all pretty great). Specifically, the inclusion of the compassion attribute, which improves a character's healing output, has raised a glaring red flag for some players who are afraid this is the first step toward holy trinities and dedicated healers. I respectfully disagree.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: How do trinities work?

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: How do trinities work? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetattributesdedicated-healerfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-guideguild-wars-2-previewgwgw1gw2holy-trinityjon-petersncsoftopinionravious-makes-a-good-pointtraitstrinityTue, 06 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How do you like to move it move it?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-like-to-move-it-move-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-like-to-move-it-move-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/the-daily-grind-how-do-you-like-to-move-it-move-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Zentia likes to move it move it
Zentia, Guild Wars, and a sampling of other MMOs offer what seems to me a bizarre movement option: click-to-move. I suppose I'm a first-person or chase-cam kinda girl, but I can't imagine using click-to-move in any sort of competitive 3-D gaming environment. There's always a better use for those mouse-clicks. Granted, I can understand why it's the only option in a strategy-sandbox like the freshly launched Wakfu, and I did have a go at making click-to-move work in Guild Wars on a touchscreen, but even that was iffy at best.

So today I'm wondering, when exactly is click-to-move the best option? And how do you like to move it move it in MMOs?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How do you like to move it move it? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brianna-royce-tdgchase-camclick-to-movefirst-personfirst-person-viewguild-warsgwmovementopinionsandboxtdgthe-daily-grindtouchscreenzentiaSat, 03 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/the-daily-grind-are-you-a-fan-of-account-wide-rewards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/the-daily-grind-are-you-a-fan-of-account-wide-rewards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/the-daily-grind-are-you-a-fan-of-account-wide-rewards/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Guild Wars
Guild Wars has long been a source of mild frustration for me because not all of the game's achievements are account-wide. While aspects of the Hall of Monuments are based on your account's accomplishments and skill unlocks are accessible by alts, the game nevertheless discourages me from devoting time to my secondary toons, not when there are factions and titles still to grind on my main.

I'm intrigued by games that offer parallel power tracks that show your overall investment in the game, not just in one character. Lord of the Rings Online's Destiny and Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy systems do just that: They reward you for playing multiple characters by allotting you currency that can be spent on special rewards.

So today we ask you: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards like Destiny and Legacy points? Or do you think they unduly reward scattered play rather than specialization in one character and class in the game?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-wideaccount-wide-rewardsaltaltingaltsanetarenanetbiowarebrianna-royce-tdgdestinydestiny-pointsdestiny-systemeaElectronic-Artsguild-warsgwhall-of-monumentshomlegacylegacy-pointslegacy-systemlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroncsoftopinionstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortdgthe-daily-grindthe-old-republicturbineFri, 24 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Clever ideas]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/the-perfect-ten-clever-ideas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/the-perfect-ten-clever-ideas/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/23/the-perfect-ten-clever-ideas/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Perfect Ten
I'm a sucker for a good, clever idea. You know the type: the ideas that make you slap yourself on the forehead and shout, "Why didn't I think of that first?" Or for the less humble of us out there, "Why, I did think of that first! But I got lost on the way to the patent office and I'm pretty sure that someone stole my dream journal to pilfer my genius notions!"

While critics point their fingers at the MMO industry and proclaim it a barren wasteland of innovation, there are quite a few awesome -- if small -- ideas that bubble up in MMO and move the genre forward. Maybe they're teeny-tiny baby steps; maybe they're giant hopscotch leaps over the six-spot with the rock in the middle. But these ideas can and have had the power to change how these games are made and played.

So this week I'm saluting 10 clever ideas, both large and diminutive, as a reward for a job well done!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Clever ideas

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Clever ideas originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aoe-lootaoe-lootingarea-of-effect-lootingcity-of-heroesclever-ideascohdiplomacydiplomacy-systemdoffdoodlingdungeon-finderduty-officer-systementertainereveeve-onlineexamplarexemplaringfeaturedglitchguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2listlistsminimapoverflow-serverperfect-10perfect-tenriftsidekicksidekick-systemsidekickingstar-trek-onlinestar-wars-galaxiesstar-wars-the-old-republicstoswgswtorterathe-perfect-10the-perfect-tentome-of-knowledgevanguardwarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 23 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ArenaNet closes the book on Guild Wars' Winds of Change]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/arenanet-closes-the-book-on-guild-wars-winds-of-change/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/arenanet-closes-the-book-on-guild-wars-winds-of-change/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/arenanet-closes-the-book-on-guild-wars-winds-of-change/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Guild Wars - I assume this image has something to do with Winds of Change
If you missed the Winds of Change arc that's bridging the gap between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, now's a great time to head to the official ArenaNet blog to catch up. The devs have provided a handy summary post and a bit of an explanation for their narrative goals as both Guild Wars and its highly anticipated sequel move forward.

ArenaNet also acknowledges the community feedback regarding the difficulty of the Winds of Change content, and the firm says that initially "the difficulty was getting in the way of people enjoying the story, making it far more of a slog than we'd intended and actively undermining their enjoyment of it."

Happily, recent updates have led to "major balance tweaks" and second looks at both normal and hard-mode content, so if you were frustrated before, it's worth your time to give it another go.

MassivelyArenaNet closes the book on Guild Wars' Winds of Change originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arena-netarenanetchallengedev-blogfantasyguild-warsguild-wars-2gwgw2mmo-storynarrativencsoftnew-contentwinds-of-changeTue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: Big changes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/flameseeker-chronicles-big-changes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/flameseeker-chronicles-big-changes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/14/flameseeker-chronicles-big-changes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Guild Wars Beyond
The last chapter of Guild Wars Beyond's Winds of Change was released just a handful of days ago, bringing nine new quests, fancy weapons, fresh rewards, and a heaping helping of story to the land of Cantha, not to mention a significant update to the way ArenaNet is telling the tale.

Miku's Tale in particular boasts a few distinct differences from earlier parts of this storyline -- largely, the consensus seems to be, for the better. There was a fair bit of griping after the first portion of Winds of Change went live and a widespread agreement that something was not quite right about the way the quests at the start of Winds of Change were being handled. ArenaNet responded to this with promises to go back and retune quests, mostly in response to the argument that mobs were too hard. While I certainly understand a fiendish level of mob difficulty acting as an intimidating gateway to players less comfortable with fighting in Guild Wars, I don't think it was really the heart of the problem with the earlier Winds of Change content.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Big changes

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Big changes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcanthacombatcontentfantasyfeaturedflameseeker-chroniclesguild-warsGuild-Wars-2guild-wars-beyondgwgw1gw2Mikumikus-talencsoftopinionwinds-of-changeTue, 14 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars: The winds just keep on a-changin']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/guild-wars-the-winds-just-keep-on-a-changin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/guild-wars-the-winds-just-keep-on-a-changin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/guild-wars-the-winds-just-keep-on-a-changin/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

ArenaNet has just announced that the third installment of Winds of Change, Miku's Tale, will be going live tomorrow! Part of Guild Wars Beyond, an effort to bridge the story between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, Winds of Change has been following the shifting states of affairs in Cantha. The rise of the Ministry of Purity, a new governmental organization, has had a central role in the story. First fighting with player characters against the blighted Afflicted then gangs of criminals, the Ministry slowly grew in influence and power. Guild Wars players aided the Ministry of Purity in its fight for justice until a chance encounter at a Ministry rally turned things sour. Since then, players have been rescuing captives, working with the Tengu, and generally making a nuisance of themselves as far as the Ministry is concerned. Now, with things in Cantha at the edge of chaos, we can once again pick up the story -- and dive into the final chapter of Winds of Change.

If you'd like to see the new content in action, join us tomorrow, February 9th, at 7 p.m. EST for a special edition livestream. Our own Richie Procopio will be joined by ArenaNet staff as he streams the game live on our Twitch channel!

MassivelyGuild Wars: The winds just keep on a-changin' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetcanthafactionsguild-warsGuild-Wars-2guild-wars-beyondgwgw2Mikumikus-taleministry-of-purityncsoftpatchsoon-TMupdatewinds-of-changeWed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MV Guide: February 6-12, 2012]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/mv-guide-february-6-12-2012/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/mv-guide-february-6-12-2012/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/mv-guide-february-6-12-2012/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Global Agenda
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV.

Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.)

Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule!

Continue reading MV Guide: February 6-12, 2012

MassivelyMV Guide: February 6-12, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetarenanet-guild-warsbiowarebioware-mmobioware-mmorpgbioware-star-warsbioware-swtorccpccp-eveccp-gamescloud-ninecode-clubeaelectronic-artseveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineglitchglobal-agendaglobal-agenda-hi-rezguild-warsguildwarsgwhi-rezhi-rez-global-agendahi-rez-stdioes-global-agendahi-rez-studiosliden-labs-second-lifelinden-labslivestreamlivestreaminglucas-artslucas-arts-mmolucas-arts-mmorpgmv-guidemv-tvncsoftnetgamenexusnexus-the-kingdom-of-the-windsrolf-jannsonryzomsecond-lifesecond-life-linden-labsslsl-liden-labsstar-wars-gamestar-wars-mmostar-wars-mmorpgstar-wars-the-old-republicstar-wars-torstarwarsstarwars-the-old-republicsw-torswtorthe-old-republictiny-specktwitch-tvvirtual-worldwurmwurm-onlineMon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Previously on MV TV: Week of January 30, 2012]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/previously-on-mv-tv-week-of-january-30-2012/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/previously-on-mv-tv-week-of-january-30-2012/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/previously-on-mv-tv-week-of-january-30-2012/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Guild Wars
Welcome to Previously on MV TV! Our livestreaming schedule has picked up a lot over the past few weeks, and our readers have busy lives, so we know it's impossible to watch every single streaming event live. Fortunately for you, we save all of our streams all for posterity on Massively's Twitch TV channel, so you can view them at your leisure. Even better, we've got a roundup of a few of last week's MV TV highlights from the livestream team. Follow along after the jump for the best of the best!

Continue reading Previously on MV TV: Week of January 30, 2012

MassivelyPreviously on MV TV: Week of January 30, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetarenanet-guild-warsblizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentccpccp-gamesd3diablo-3diablo-iiidiiieveeve-onlineguild-warsguildwarsgwlinden-labsecond-lifeslsoesony-online-entertainmentvanguardVanguard-Saga-of-Heroesvirtual-worldSun, 05 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Leaderboard: Mechanized vs. monster mounts]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/leaderboard-mechanized-vs-monster-mounts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Leaderboard
Unless you're stuck in the invisible wall, no jumping, running-with-your-hands-flopping-about hell of Guild Wars, chances are you've gotten the opportunity to pick up a mount or two in an MMO. It's one of the ways that MMOs are so superior to the real world: There are no driver tests, no insurance policies, no (usually) gas. You just plop down some money and the vendor looks the other way while you go off-roading in a major metropolitan area.

But it wouldn't be a Leaderboard if we didn't force you to choose between your '67 Mustang and your pet Tauntaun, and so it shall be. In the world of mounts, there are two categories: the mechanized and the monsters. Vehicle mounts may be more rare due to fantasy's dominance over the genre, but they're still there and quite popular for the set that doesn't appreciate staring at horse doody all the live-long day. Then again, the fantastic creatures that have served as animal mounts are unceasing in variety as they are in style.

So what shall it be? Will you plug Old Yeller and go with your motorcycle, or will you mothball your favorite dune buggy in favor of Seabiscuit? Vote after the jump!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Mechanized vs. monster mounts

MassivelyLeaderboard: Mechanized vs. monster mounts originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animalcarfeaturedguild-warsgwhorseleaderboardmechanizedmonstermotorcyclemountmountsold-yelleropinionpollseabiscuitvehiclevehiclesvotevotersvotesMon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Flameseeker Chronicles: What lies ahead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/flameseeker-chronicles-what-lies-ahead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/flameseeker-chronicles-what-lies-ahead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/flameseeker-chronicles-what-lies-ahead/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Pre-Searing
To say last week was exciting for Guild Wars 2 fans is a bit of an understatement. Mike O'Brien gave the community the news it's been dying to hear, Ree Soesbee told us all about the Jotun (no, seriously, I hate those guys and their stupid KDs), and... well, some other things happened too.

We've got lots to talk about, so hit the jump and let's dive right in.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: What lies ahead

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: What lies ahead originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetarenanet-guild-wars2featuredflameseeker-chroniclesguild-wars2guildwars2gwgw2mike-obrienncsoftree-soesbeeMon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST